Baby restraining article

ABSTRACT

An article or apparatus is described for restraining a baby. The article may include a special-purpose sheet, restraint(s) such as strap(s) that are anchored to the sheet and/or to a mattress, and connector(s) such as buckle(s). The sheet is designed to have a plurality of attached bases that allow the restraints to be anchored to the sheet and/or to the mattress. The baby may be placed on the sheet on his back, the restraints may be lightly tightened around the baby, and the connectors at the ends of the restraints may join to lock the baby on his back. The connectors may then be unlocked in the morning so that the baby may be safely retrieved from the sheet. The sheet may also include strap(s) that wrap around the mattress and connect in the front or back.

BENEFIT CLAIM; INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This application claims priority as a Continuation of application Ser.No. 14/096,581 filed on Dec. 4, 2013 which is hereby incorporated byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technical field relates to articles for restraining a baby.

BACKGROUND

The approaches described in this section are approaches that could bepursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previouslyconceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it shouldnot be assumed that any of the approaches described in this sectionqualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in thissection.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the leading cause of death forinfants 1 month to 1 year old, claiming the lives of about 2,500 babieseach year in the United States. The best known way to reduce the risk ofSIDS is to place babies to sleep on their backs.

Unfortunately, SIDS can affect babies even if they have been placed tosleep on their backs. As babies grow older and get stronger, they gainthe ability to flip themselves over from their backs to their stomachs,but they may not be able to repeat the feat to return to their backs.For this reason, parents restlessly spend countless hours checking ontheir babies to ensure that they have not flipped over on theirstomachs. Parents deserve better options, and so do their children.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of an example sheet or mattress with aleft restraint, a right restraint, and a lower restraint for restraininga baby lying on top of the sheet.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of an example sheet or mattress with upperbases that may hold pillows, head tilting objects, and/or shoulderrestraints.

FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom view of an example sheet, such as the sheetof FIG. 1, where strap portions connect behind a baby lying on top ofthe sheet.

FIG. 4 illustrates a bottom view of an example sheet, such as the sheetof FIG. 1, where a single strap portion wraps behind a baby lying on topof the sheet.

FIG. 5 illustrates a bottom view of an example sheet, such as the sheetof FIG. 1, where strap portion(s) are stitched into the back of thesheet.

FIG. 6 illustrates a bottom view of a mattress where a strap wrapsaround the mattress from through and behind an example sheet.

FIG. 7 illustrates a bottom view of a mattress where strap portions wraparound the mattress and connect in the back.

FIG. 8 illustrates a top view of an example sheet or mattress where therestraints are adapted to swaddle a baby.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however,that the present invention may be practiced without these specificdetails. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shownin block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring thepresent invention.

GENERAL OVERVIEW

An article or apparatus is described for restraining a baby. The articlemay include a special-purpose sheet, restraint(s) such as strap(s) thatare anchored to the sheet and/or to a mattress, and a connector orconnector portion(s) such as a buckle or different parts of buckle(s).The sheet is designed to have a plurality of attached bases that allowthe restraints to be anchored to the sheet and/or to the mattress. Thebaby may be placed on the sheet on his back, the restraints may belightly tightened around the baby, and the connector portion(s) at theends of the restraints may join to lock the baby on his back. Theconnector portion(s) may then be unlocked in the morning so that thebaby may be safely retrieved from the sheet. The sheet could but doesnot need to be attached to the frame of a crib, and the sheet could butdoes not even need to be affixed to the mattress. Instead, the sheet maybe fitted to elastically hug the mattress. The sheet may also includestrap(s) that wrap around the mattress and connect in the front or backof the mattress, behind the sheet.

In one embodiment, the article includes a sheet, a plurality of basesattached to the sheet, and a plurality of restraint portions adapted torestrain a baby. In another embodiment, the sheet that is specializedwith bases is sold separately from the restraints, and multipledifferent types of restraints may be interchangeable. For example, aswaddling-type restraint may be changed in for or changed out from astrap-type restraint. In yet another embodiment, the sheet, restraintportion(s), and/or mattress are sold together. The sheet may be affixedto the mattress or may be removably attached to the mattress.

In one embodiment, the article comprises a sheet, a plurality of basesattached to the sheet, a plurality of restraint portions adapted torestrain the baby, and a connector adapted to connect the plurality ofrestraining portions. The plurality of bases may include a first baseattached to the sheet in a first direction from a region of the sheet, asecond base attached to the sheet in a second direction from the region,and a third base attached to the sheet in a third direction from theregion. For example, the different directions may include to the left ofthe region, to the upper left of the region, above the region, to theupper right of the region, to the right of the region, to the lowerright of the region, below the region, and/or to the lower left of theregion. The plurality of restraint portions may include a firstrestraint portion in contact with the first base, a second restraintportion in contact with the second base, and a third restraint portionin contact with the third base. For example, the restraint portions maybe slidably held by or attached to their respective bases. The articlemay further include additional base(s), such as a fourth base in afourth direction of the region and a fifth base in a fifth direction ofthe region. The additional base(s) may hold additional restraintportions such as a fourth restraint portion and fifth restraint portion,respectively.

To simplify various examples, the first direction from the region isdescribed as a direction to the left of the sheet, the second directionfrom the region as a direction to the right of the region, and the thirddirection from the region as a direction below the region. Othercombinations of the example directions from the region are also possibleand may be substituted for the left, right, and lower directions in thevarious examples.

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of an example sheet or mattress 100 with aleft restraint 104 a, a right restraint 104 b, and a lower restraint 104c for restraining a baby lying on top of the sheet. The left restraint104 a passes through or is attached to left base 102 a. Similarly, rightrestraint 104 b passes through or is attached to right base 102 b, andlower restraint 104 c passes through or is attached to lower base 102 c.The bases 102 a, 102 b, and 102 c are attached to or otherwise part ofsheet or mattress 100. The restraints 104 a, 104 b, and 104 c meet at aconnector defined by connector portions 106 a, 106 b, and 106 c. Asshown, left connector portion 106 a is at the end of left restraint 104a, and right connector portion 106 b is at the end of right restraint104 b. If the connector is a T connector, left connector portion 106 aand right connector portion 106 b may snap into lower connector portion106 c.

In the example of FIG. 1, a baby's back may be placed in a regionspanning between left base 102 a and right base 102 b, and therestraints may be lifted around the baby and secured at connectorportions 106.

Example Bases

The plurality of bases may include any combination of:

-   -   left base(s) attached to the sheet at first point(s) that lie to        the left of a region of the sheet,    -   right base(s) attached to the sheet at second point(s) that lie        to the right of the region,    -   lower base(s) attached to the sheet at third point(s) that lie        below the region, and/or    -   upper base(s) attached to the sheet at fourth point(s) that lie        above the region.        For example, the region may be an area on the sheet designated        for the baby's back, and a base may be at or near any border of        the region. In one example, the base is attached to the sheet as        a border for an opening such as a hole or slot through which a        restraint may pass. In this example, the base may strengthen the        sheet by adding layers of same or different material than the        sheet itself. For example, the sheet may be cotton, polyester,        or rayon (or any other material suitable for a baby's        bedsheets), and the base may be made of the same material or        additional material that could be sturdier, such as nylon,        leather, or plastic. The base may be attached to the sheet by        sewing, stapling, tying, sticking, taping, or gluing the        material to the sheet or by any other means that fixes the base        to the sheet to resist or distribute sliding or pulling forces        between the restraint and the base. The base itself may even        just be added threading around the opening that serves to        strengthen the opening and allow a restraint to pass through the        opening, and possibly slide and be pulled without tearing the        sheet.

In one embodiment, the sheet, bases, and restraint portions are made outof machine-washable materials such that the entire sheet, with orwithout restraint portions intact, is machine washable in a standardwashing machine. In another embodiment, the sheet and bases may bemachine-washable, and the restraint portions may be rinsed in water orspot-cleaned. In yet another embodiment, the entire article may berinsed in water or spot-cleaned.

In another example, the base is attached to the sheet as a mount towhich the restraint may be attached. The base may be made of similarmaterials as in the other embodiment, with a goal of distributing theforce that could be provided when a restraint is slid or pulled by thebaby. The restraint may be attached to the restraint using threading,staples, a hook-and-loop fastener such as Velcro, tape, glue, or anyother means that fixes the restraint to the base to resist or distributesliding or pulling forces between the restraint and the base.

Example Restraint Portions

The plurality of restraint portions may be held, slidably or fixedly, bythe plurality of bases, and the plurality of restraint portions may bedistinct parts of one or multiple restraints. For example, a restraintportion may be sewed or otherwise attached to a respective base. Inanother example, a restraint portion may slidably fit through arespective base. In the latter example, the base may be a reinforcedhole in the sheet. The plurality of restraint portions may include anycombination of:

-   -   left restraint(s) held by the left base(s),    -   right restraint(s) held by the right base(s),    -   lower restraint(s) held by the lower base(s), and/or    -   upper restraint(s) held by the upper base(s).        For example, a base may have an opening such as a hole or slot        through which a restraint portion such as part of a strap may        pass. In the example, the base may hold one end of the part of        the strap within the hole or slot but allow the strap to        otherwise move freely. The strap may continue behind the sheet        and pass back through another opening to form another restraint        portion. In this example, a portion of the strap may be stitched        into the back of the sheet, pass behind the sheet, or even wrap        around the mattress.

If a portion of the strap is behind the sheet, a majority or minority,in terms of surface area, of that portion may be stitched into thesheet. In a particular example, the strap comprises:

-   -   a first restraint portion in front of the sheet, such as a left        restraint portion,    -   a strap portion below the sheet, and    -   a second restraint portion in front of the sheet, such as a        right restraint portion.

FIG. 4 illustrates a bottom view of an example sheet 400, such as thesheet of FIG. 1, where a single strap portion 410 wraps behind a babylying on top of the sheet. Also as shown, bases 402 a, 402 b, and 402 cmay include stitching or other material that is not visible from the topof the sheet, or may be missing stitching or other material that isvisible from the top of the sheet.

In one embodiment, whether a strap portion is stitched behind the sheet,merely passes behind the sheet, or wraps around the mattress, the strapportion may comprise multiple parts that connect together. For example,the strap portion may include two or more strap portions that connecttogether with a buckle behind the sheet or even below the mattress. In aparticular example, the strap portions meet under the mattress andterminate in connector portions that snap together.

FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom view of an example sheet, such as the sheetof FIG. 1, where strap portions 310 a and 310 b connect behind a babylying on top of the sheet. As shown, sheet 300 includes elastic portion301 for fitting around a mattress. Left strap portion 310 a attaches toor passes through sheet 300 and ends at connector portion 312 a.Similarly, right strap portion 310 b attaches to or passes through sheet300 and ends at connector portion 312 b. The connector portions 312 maysnap or lock together behind the baby. As shown, bases 302 a, 302 b, and302 c may include stitching or material that may not be visible from thetop of the sheet, or may be missing stitching or other material that isvisible from the top of the sheet.

FIG. 5 illustrates a bottom view of an example sheet, such as the sheetof FIG. 1, where strap portion(s) 510 are stitched to the back of thesheet at stitched portion 514.

FIG. 6 illustrates a bottom view of a mattress where a strap 622 wrapsaround the mattress from through and behind an example sheet. Forexample, strap 622 may originate from left strap portion 310 a at oneend and right strap portion 310 b at the other end. Strap portions 310are shown in FIG. 3. The strap portions may pass through or attach tothe sheet at bases 302 a and 302 b, but, instead of connecting atconnector portions 312 a and 312 b as shown in FIG. 3, the strapportions 310 a and 310 b wrap around the mattress behind the fittedsheet 601 and out from under the fitted sheet.

FIG. 7 illustrates a bottom view of a mattress where the strap portions722 a and 722 b wrap around the mattress and connect in the back. Leftstrap portion 722 a may wrap around mattress, under fitted sheet 701,and continue as left strap portion 310 a to pass through or attach tothe sheet at left base 302 a. Similarly, right strap portion 722 b maywrap around mattress, under fitted sheet 702, and continue as rightstrap portion 310 b to pass through or attach to the sheet at right base302 b. Left strap portion 722 a ends at connector portion 724 a, whichconnects to connector portion 724 b at the end of right strap portion722 b.

In another example, the base may be attached to the end of a restraintportion. In a particular example, one end of the strap may be stitchedto the base, and the other end of the strap may be attached to a portionof a connector such as a buckle. In this example, the restraint portionterminates at the base at one end and at the connector at the other end.The restraint portion may also include additional slack that passesbeyond either end or doubles a thickness of the restraint portion. Theadditional slack is used to adjust the restraint portion to be larger orsmaller.

Some, none, or all of the restraint portion(s) may be adjustable tosupport babies of various sizes and various levels of comfort.

Example Connector Portions

The plurality of restraint(s) may connect using a connector comprising aplurality of connector portion(s) attached to the plurality ofrestraining portion(s). The plurality of connector portions may includeany combination of:

-   -   left connector portion(s) attached to the left restraining        portion(s),    -   right connector portion(s) attached to the right restraining        portion(s),    -   lower connector portion(s) attached to the lower restraining        portion(s), and/or    -   upper connector portion(s) attached to the upper restraining        portion(s).        For example, a 3-point harness may have a buckle that connects a        left strap portion, a right strap portion, and a lower strap        portion. In another example, a 5-point harness may have a buckle        that connects these strap portions and also a left shoulder        strap portion and a right shoulder strap portion.

The connector may be any device that allows multiple restraint portionsor strap portions to connect to each other, for example, to restrain ababy. In one embodiment, the connector is a T-connector, where the lowerportion of the T-connector comprises a first insert that accepts theleft connector portion from the left restraint portion and a secondinsert that accepts the right connector portion from the right restraintportion.

In another embodiment, the connector is a Y-connector, where anyconnector is adapted to be connected to any other connector, and theremaining connector may be snapped into place after the other connectorsare already connected.

The restraint connector may also be a 2-way, 3-way, 4-way, 5-way, orn-way connector that secures n restraint portions that may be connectedto n bases.

The connector may also connect strap portions that pass behind the sheetor behind the mattress.

A single connector function, such as securing a baby with restraintportions, may be accomplished by multiple connectors working togetherwhether or not they are physically connected to each other. For example,an upper connector may be used to connect upper restraints for an upperbody of the baby, and a lower connector may be used to connect lowerrestraints for a lower body of the baby.

In one embodiment, the connector is lockable and un-lockable with thepress of a button or the flip of a mechanical switch. The lock may bebaby-proof such that the lock requires the strength or precision of anadult to operate. For example, the connector may be locked by snappingin at least one of the connector portions on at least one of therestraints to at least one other of the connector portions on at leastone other of the restraints. The connector may be unlocked by snappingout at least one of the connector portions from at least one other ofthe connector portions. The connector portions may be locked andunlocked one portion at a time or all at once.

In one embodiment, the connectors are plastic portions molded to fittogether snugly. The plastic portions may be flexible enough to snapinto a locked connection, but rigid enough to remain in the lockedconnection until they are unlocked. The connectors may also be made offabric, metal, or any other material that is safe for use near or on ababy.

In one embodiment, the connector is lockable and unlockable using one ormore sets of hook fasteners and one or more sets of loop fasteners. Forexample, one restraint portion may have a set of hook fasteners attachedto the end, and another restraint portion may have a set of loopfasteners attached to the end. The hook fasteners may lock into the loopfasteners and require an adult-level of force to unlock. In a particularexample, the hook-and-loop fasteners are Velcro® fasteners.

Non-Strap Restraint Examples

Various examples are described herein with respect to strap-likerestraints, such as bands or cords. However, the examples are notlimited to these types of restraints. In one embodiment, at least asubset of the restraint portions are sheets of fabric adapted to swaddlea baby in the region. For example, the restraint sheets may be supportedby a wide base that stretches the sheet from the baby's lower to middleregion up to the baby's chest or shoulders. The restraint sheets maysnap together with plastic connectors at the end, or the sheets maymerely tie together with or without any specialized connector.

In the same or a different embodiment, a lower restraint portion mayinclude one or more stitched pockets adapted to cover legs of a baby.The pockets may be long enough to support babies of a variety of sizes.The back and bottom of a baby may be placed in a resting region of thesheet just above the pockets, and the legs of the baby may be insertedinto the pockets. The sheet may support one or two pockets, depending onparents' and babies' preferences. The pockets may be loosely fitted toallow the baby to move his or her legs comfortably, but tight enough toprevent tangling of the fabric that lines the pocket.

FIG. 8 illustrates a top view of an example sheet or mattress where therestraints are adapted to swaddle a baby. As shown, lower restraintportion 804 c is a sheet that spans from elongated lower base 802 cupwardly. Lower restraint portion 804 c may span up to a mid-region ofthe baby or to a chest region of the baby.

Also as shown, right restraint portion 804 b is a sheet that spans fromelongated right base 802 b toward left base 802 a. As shown, rightconnector portion 806 b connects to lower connector portion 806 c. Forexample, the connector portions 806 a and 806 b may be hook-and-loopconnectors, or snap-on button connectors, or slide-in button connectors,which work well for fabric-to-fabric connections.

Left restraint portion 804 a is also a sheet that spans from elongatedleft base 802 a toward right base 802 b. The restraint portions 804 aand 804 b may connect at connector portions 806 a and 806 b. As shown,restraint portion 804 c lies on the bottom, followed by right restraintportion 804 b and then by left restraint portion 804 a; however, thesheets may be layered in any order or may connect without forminglayers.

Pillow Examples

In one embodiment, base(s) may also be adapted to attach to pillow(s).For example, the pillow base(s) may be located just above the region inwhich the baby's back or either shoulder is placed. In this manner, apillow base may be centered to provide general comfort for the back ofthe head or offset from the center to force a tilting of the head. Thepillow(s) may be used to prop or tilt the baby's head partially to oneside or the other while the baby is lying on his or her back. The baby'shead may be tilted to avoid developing a flatness on the back of thebaby's head, which may result from the baby spending too much time onhis or her back. A single sheet may include a left pillow base and aright pillow base for alternately holding a pillow attachment. A pillowmay be placed on the left pillow base some nights to encourage the babyto tilt his head away from that side, and on the right pillow base othernights to encourage the baby to tilt his head away from that side.

In one embodiment, a pillow is adapted to be wedge-shaped orflat-bottomed such that the pillow sits firmly on the sheet. The pillowmay or may not be attached to a pillow base, and the sheet may or maynot have a pillow base even if the pillow is used.

In the foregoing specification, embodiments of the invention have beendescribed with reference to numerous specific details that may vary fromimplementation to implementation. The specification and drawings are,accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictivesense. The sole and exclusive indicator of the scope of the invention,and what is intended by the applicants to be the scope of the invention,is the literal and equivalent scope of the set of claims that issue fromthis application, in the specific form in which such claims issue,including any subsequent correction.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of an example sheet or mattress with upperbases that may hold pillows, head tilting objects, and/or shoulderrestraints. As shown, left upper base 208 a and right upper base 208 bmay be used to mount head tilting objects, such as soft wedges, orshoulder restraints, which, if present, would connect to connectorportions 206. For example, a single removable pillow may be attached toeither left upper base 208 a or right upper base 208 b, which may bothbe present on the product. The pillow may be switched from one base tothe other to balance the baby's sleeping positions. Also as shown,central upper base 210 may hold a pillow. The pillow may be designed tobe concave to cradle the baby's head or neck. By cradling the head, thepillow may reduce the likelihood of the baby forming a flatness on theback of his or her head.

What is claimed is:
 1. An article for restraining a baby, the articlecomprising: a sheet; a plurality of bases attached to the sheet, theplurality of bases comprising: a first base attached to the sheet in afirst direction from a region of the sheet, a second base attached tothe sheet in a second direction from the region, and a third baseattached to the sheet in a third direction from the region; a pluralityof restraint portions adapted to restrain a baby, the plurality ofrestraint portions comprising: a first restraint portion in contact withthe first base; a second restraint portion in contact with the secondbase; a third restraint portion in contact with the third base; and aconnector adapted to connect the plurality of restraining portions. 2.The article of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality ofrestraint portions is attached to and terminates at a respective base ofthe plurality of bases.
 3. The article of claim 1, wherein the firstrestraint portion and the second restraint portion comprise sheets offabric adapted to swaddle a baby in the region.
 4. The article of claim1, wherein the third restraint portion comprises one or more stitchedpockets adapted to cover legs of a baby.
 5. The article of claim 1,wherein at least one of the first restraint portion, the secondrestraint portion, or the third restraint portion is adjustable.
 6. Thearticle of claim 1, wherein the connector comprises: a first connectorportion attached to the first restraining portion, a second connectorportion attached to the second restraining portion, and a thirdconnector portion attached to the third restraining portion; wherein theconnector is lockable by snapping in at least one of the connectorportions to at least one other of the connector portions and unlockableby snapping out at least one of the connector portions from at least oneother of the connector portions.
 7. The article of claim 1, wherein thesheet is elastically fitted for a crib mattress.
 8. The article of claim1, wherein the sheet is removable from a mattress and washable in astandard washing machine.
 9. The article of claim 1, wherein theconnector comprises: a left connector portion attached to the leftrestraining portion, a right connector portion attached to the rightrestraining portion, and a lower connector portion attached to the lowerrestraining portion.
 10. The article of claim 1, wherein the first baseis attached to the sheet to the left of the region, the second baseattached is to the sheet to the right of the region, and the third baseis attached to the sheet below the region.
 11. The article of claim 1,wherein at least one of the restraining portions is attached to arespective base of the plurality of bases.
 12. An article forrestraining a baby, the article comprising: a removable sheet fitted fora crib mattress; a plurality of bases attached to the sheet, theplurality of bases comprising: a left base attached to the sheet to theleft of a region of the sheet and adapted to hold a left strap portion,a right base attached to the sheet to the right of the region andadapted to hold a right strap portion, and a lower base attached to thesheet below the region and adapted to hold a lower strap portion.